Environmental News | Weather, Climate Change & Conservation

Heatwaves are becoming more intense, more frequent and lasting longer in Australia, researchers say.

The health threat that is 'falling through the cracks'

Less than one dollar in a thousand spent on health in Australia goes to one of the biggest threats facing the sector, a new paper finds.

Sydney marks hottest month ever with every site setting records

The beach was the place to be for most of January in Sydney.

Sydney has marked its hottest ever month, with extended warm spells setting records at all metropolitan sites.

Santos lodges controversial CSG plans, igniting 'massive battle'

Santos has finally moved to lodge its environment impact statement for its Narrabri CSG venture.

Energy giant lodges its long-delayed application to develop the controversial Narrabri coal seam gas project.

Lost and found

Thought to be extinct for almost 200 years, the newly-named Hibbertia Fumana makes a comeback.

Claims of a cover-up as a plant lost for two centuries turns up on a development site.

Mining plans for Sydney's catchment pose Gladys a 'crucial test'

South32 and BlueScope Steel are feuding over coal supplied by the former.

Coal mining in Sydney's water catchment could prove an early test for new Premier Gladys Berejiklian

Wide Gulf between rhetoric and reality for fossil fuels and renewables

Khalid al-Falih, Saudi's oil minister and OPEC chief, speaks at the World Future Energy Conference in Abu Dhabi.

Do big investments in solar energy point to a different future for the oil-rich nations of the Middle East?

Shark!

Have a spate of bites and sightings up and down the NSW coast raised the odds that an attack awaits beachgoers this summer? Peter Hannam investigates.

Severe thunderstorms hit Sydney, flash flooding and damaging wind likely

Rain offers respite, before another baking weekend

9 mins ago

A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for heavy rainfall and damaging winds in the Sydney metropolitan and parts of the Illawarra forecast districts on Tuesday morning in what is expected to be the city's wettest day since late last year.

Sydney sweats through summer without peer as NSW records melt

Sydney swelters through another night, as swimmers hit the beach just after 6am.

Sydneysiders to get a couple of days of relief from the abnormal warmth before another tide of heat arrives, all but assuring this summer will be the city's hottest on record.

Sydney heat could break century-old record, before cool change hits

Swimmers hit Coogee Beach just after 6am, when the temperature was already 27 degrees.

Sydneysiders who tossed and turned their way through yet another stifling night can rest assured: relief is on its way on Monday afternoon.

Sydney sweats through a sweltering Sunday with 120-year record in play

The mercury is tipped to hit 35 degrees on Monday.

Sydneysiders are sweltering through a hot and sticky Sunday, with temperatures passing the 30-degree mark since 9.30am.

CSIRO climate science proves its worth one year after deep cuts

Warming world: Proposed CSIRO climate cuts drew international rebukes.

Climate science at the CSIRO is bouncing back one year after executives modelled its demise, securing new revenue streams in the Pacific and China and looking to hire new staff.

The town that won't cool down

Thirsty work: Moree bakes through another 40-plus degree day.

It's 5.40am in Moree, northern NSW, as Ben Adams wakes up and prepares for work.

Canberra sweats through steamy Sunday with hot, blustery week ahead

Luke Clarke of Calwell cools off in the rock pools at Gibraltar Falls during hot weather.

Canberrans who sweltered through a hot and humid Sunday should brace themselves for an uncomfortably warm night.

Sydney weather: City braces for sweltering Sunday

Runners get water relief at The Sydney Morning Herald Sun Run on Saturday.

Sydney prepares for a hot February weekend ahead of what is likely to be another month of sweltering temperatures.

Our first weather chart fed a hunger for forecasts that keeps growing

Early colonists thought weather systems moved from east to west.

'We should assume our worst fears will be realised'

Scientists fear that under President Donald Trump, the US may exit the Paris global climate agreement.

"We are all very worried here," Rahmstorf, a professor at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, says.

'Clean coal' would push up power bills more than wind, solar or gas: analysts

Malcolm Turnbull has flagged a policy switch that is sure to provoke anger from anti-coal environmentalists.

"Clean coal" plants that the Turnbull government has flagged could get clean energy subsidies are more expensive than solar, wind and gas-fired power and would lead to higher electricity price rises, analysts have warned.

The industry making a huge profit from Sydney's never-ending heat

Air conditioning sales soars with the heat

As the temperature reaches new heights, so does the sale of air conditioners as Sydneysiders seek out cool relief in their homes.

Ill wind blows in energy debate

Renewable power in the 2020s will almost certainly be cheaper than new coal, and possibly by a wide margin.

We should invest in the future, not sink more public money into last century's technologies.

Don't touch renewables, business warns

Wind turbines: Don't cut renewables, business leaders say.

Australia's top business groups have cautioned the government against making any more changes to the renewable energy target.

Cannibalism is far more common in the animal world than we thought

Sand tiger sharks are known for their cannibalism. But they're not alone.

Once thought to be aberrant behaviour, cannibalism is common in the natural world - and for many species, not necessarily a bad thing.

Heat relief arrives in Sydney but it won't last long

Cooling off in Coogee before the heat arrived on Tuesday.

Sydney's latest summer heatwave has peaked and temperatures are plummeting - but the relief won't last long as another hot spell will arrive within days.

'Exceptional' heat shows little sign of easing grip on Sydney and NSW

A couple take in the sunrise at Cronulla Rock pool.

Sydneysiders struggling back to work and school this week are likely to get little early relief - particularly overnight - from the city's record-breaking heat.

NSW weather: Heatwave, severe fire danger as students return to school

January has been hotter and drier than usual.

NSW students returning to school this week face extreme heat on Monday and Tuesday with temperatures reaching into the 40s for much of the state.

Victoria to take on Turnbull with new climate target

The Codrington windfarm in south-west Victoria.

The Andrews government will pledge to cut Victoria's greenhouse gas emissions by up to a fifth by 2020, putting it at odds with Canberra on tackling climate change.

Extreme heat forecast for first day at school

Fyn 4, Marlow, 3, and Noah Butler, 6, beating the heat in Lake Burley Griffin before the school holidays end.

It will be a blazing start to the new school year.

'Never been a higher risk': RFS warns of grass fire threat

Fire season still has a long way to go in NSW.

Despite record-high temperatures so far this summer, Sydney has avoided serious bushfire over the holiday period - though the Rural Fire Service warns the danger is not over yet.

The seven strangest sea creatures near you

Dr Julian Finn explores the water at Williamstown for the weirdest marine creatures.

Sharks have hogged the spotlight this summer. But what about the smaller creatures that inhabit our waters. Fish that can go from being female to male or sea cucumbers that can reorganise the position of their vital organs before splitting in two. They all live in Australian waters: in our bays, harbours and deep oceans.